Last week, I was speaking with a friend and esteemed colleague about how both of us have, at times, lived in places where we feel creatively isolated (read: we have both left New York City). Both of us felt a fear of this, as though we would lose our edge and be unable to keep up when we returned to the “real world” of musicians. Interestingly, though, we both have found that the isolation has in fact been beneficial to us as musicians. Rather than becoming soft and losing our chops, it seemed that things actually settled in and solidified, with the result that not only were we able to keep up, but we also felt that our playing had advanced during our time out from the busy music scene.
As with so many of my posts, I feel that this may be really obvious to most of you reading this, but for me it was an important thing to realize. I grew up in a place that was very isolated, musically speaking, and it took me so long to gain even the most basic facility and knowledge on my instrument, that the fear of losing it is very real.
I think that it is important to note that both my friend and I are serious practicers, who are unlikely to neglect our daily work. This is crucial, because there are players who manage to maintain their facility at a certain level simply because they are playing out or playing sessions so much, but they lose the habit of practice along the way. Don’t do that! Your alone time with your instrument cannot be replaced by anything else.
This is to say, you can step back from the places that are centers of activity, you can take a break, maybe you will find something new if you do. I know I did. Life is complicated and difficult, and we are all trying our best; I think that practice can be something that comes with us no matter where we have to go, and I hope that it can be a safe place for you to rest and nurture your own humanity.
Catherine Sikora 